A man is in jail after police arrested him in connection with what they say is one of the "most horrific acts of child abuse," according CBS Philly.

Investigators say it happened when 27-year-old Nicholas Kernechel was watching his girlfriend's autistic son. When the 4-year-old boy disobeyed Kernechel, the Pennsylvania man took matters into his own hands.

According to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, the man allegedly ripped out three of the boy's teeth as punishment.

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​Authorities said this is one of the worst child abuse cases they've seen "in a really long time."

"The teeth were recovered, they were intact from the root to the edge of the tooth," Ferman told CBS Philly.

This act may have taken some planning. She added that, "[The teeth] were bloodied. And they have striations on them that would indicate that a tool of some sort was used to remove them from the child's mouth."

The child's mother was out of the apartment for two hours from 10:30 pm to midnight. The mother claims she checked on her son when she got home but didn't notice any of the swelling, bruising or missing teeth. It was only until the next morning that she saw the extent of the boy's injuries.

Once she discovered the injuries, the mother went straight to the police. Cops found blood splattered all over the boy's bed.

Police arrested Kernechel and he is currently facing multiple counts of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

A new study finds that healthcare providers may be missing opportunities to detect child abuse. Watch below to learn the warning signs of abuse: